It wasn’t long after midday and I was sat on a sunkissed clifftop knocking back homemade ouzo with a monk and his band of cats.

The sizzling heat and the strength of the bootleg booze were almost enough to make me forget who I was….or where I was.

But it was hardly surprising, because I was in Alonissos, the lesser-known isle of the not-very-well-known Sporades Islands – a group of 24 dots of land framed by the Aegan Sea off the east coast of Greece.

It was my first stop on a whirlwind tour of two of the Sporades’ three inhabited islands.

The day started with a boat trip. I’d been on boat trips before, usually hungover, sunburned and feeling the sickly effects of every wave.

But this was different, namely because I hadn’t yet had the chance to sample the local booze and the sea was as flat as a fat joke at Slimming World.

Georgios was our captain - a silver-haired chap with a smile as big as his Speedos were small - and the miniature stone monastery of Kyra Panagia was our destination.

The journey was a dream, staggered only by refreshing stops to take dips in the clear, blue water, jump from jagged rocks and explore the wreck of a rusty ship.

As we anchored in a cove beneath the monastery, a sweaty climb awaited before we reached the monk and his nameless cats.

They, and a sorry-looking donkey, had been his only company for three years, save for the odd tourist or two popping in to sample his homebrewed hooch.

That wasn’t the purpose of our visit, of course, but after a quick tour of his ramshackle home he was pouring the stuff quicker than a barman in Magaluf.

He sipped his, elegantly, enjoying the aroma of his own fruitful labours.

I sniffed mine and almost passed out, but not wanting to offend a man of God, I chucked the fiery fluid down my throat.

My memory of the next five minutes is a little hazy, but I recall the climb back down to the boat being a little more interesting.

Luckily, the mind-altering effects of the ouzo had worn off by the evening, just in time to enjoy the island’s old town.

It was typically Greek, built into the remnants of a giant hilltop castle that once protected Alonissos from roaming pirates.

Its white-walled restaurants and delightful little bars overlooked sprawling forests and a deadly still sea lit by the moon.

If the island could have spoken, it would have said ‘sit down, have a beer and just look at me, I’m bloody awesome’.

And it was, but there was little time to dwell, as our next stop was Skopelos – a short ferry ride away and best-known for being the setting for hit musical Mamma Mia!.

And we wasted no time in visiting the movie’s famous hilltop white chapel (Meryl Streep sings Winner Takes it all to Pierce Brosnan outside it, apparently, I’m told, I wouldn’t know, obviously).

But I use the term hilltop loosely, because this was no hill – it was an endurance test like no other.

In the 35 degree heat I counted 212 steps up and 192 down, I can only guess because the climb had obliterated any brain function I had remaining.

But was it worth it? Well, no, not really. Even a diehard Mamma Mia! fan would have been left deflated, especially if they didn’t know before that all the inside shots of the church were filmed in a UK studio.

But nothing else about Skopleos was a hoax – and if it was I didn’t mind being duped.

With its turquoise seas, green forests, white beaches and postcard towns, it’s little wonder the island caught the eye of Hollywood moviemakers.

But if you go to the Sporades for Mamma Mia! and an Abba experience, you’ll end up feeling short-changed.

You’re best off finding yourself a deckchair, pouring yourself an ouzo and soaking up everything the islands have to offer.

Because this little Greek gem is really on the money.....money, money.